Parade of Lights draws hundreds to downtown Palmer during Colony Christmas

PALMER — The annual Parade of Lights through downtown Palmer is the pinnacle of Colony Days celebrations, drawing in hundreds of people from across the Valley to downtown Palmer. For many, the parade is the main reason to attend Colony Christmas.

“I enjoy it. I watch it every year. It brings the town together,” Eagle Hotel manager Matthew White said.

Floats come in all shapes and sizes and creativity is always on full display. One of the notable additions to the parade this year was a live performance atop a trailer, promoting the upcoming local adaption of Beauty and the Beast, the Broadway Musical at the Glenn Massay Theater.

Belle and the Beast danced as Mrs. Potts sang the titular song. The actors also waved to the audience between sets.

As the Beauty and the Beast float made its way down the parade path, spectating children and parents lit up with excitement once they noticed the classic song and characters coming their way.

Twelve-year-olds Jozelin Caverly and Saundra Howard were elated to see the live performance featuring iconic Disney characters inside a parade.

“I loved it. That was really cool,” Caverly said.

“Yeah, it was awesome,” Howard said.

Eleven-year-old Rachael Wood moved to the Valley last year so this was her first time attending Colony Christmas. She said that her favorite part of the parade was getting candy. She was also pretty excited about the Beauty and the Beast float because that’s her favorite Disney movie.

“It’s cool,” Wood said.

Despite the cool, windy weather, a sizable crowd amassed in downtown Palmer to watch the parade.

Mike Hartshorn and Marie Hermon watched the parade toward the end of the designated path, in front of the Eagle Hotel.

“It was well worth the cold weather,” Hermon said with a laugh.

Hermon hails from a notable colonial family. She said that attending Colony Days stirs up her colonial spirit on top the good tidings of comfort and joy in the air.

“I’ve been here my whole life and I still love Palmer. They always put together quality activities,” Hermon said.

One of the perks many enjoy about Palmer is the town’s walkability and consistent and highly organized community activities. Hartshorn said that he only lives three blocks away from the center of town so he regularly attends events like Colony Christmas, Friday Flings and Colony Days.

“Palmer’s got a lot of stuff to do year round. It’s a good, mid-western town,” Hartshorn said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com